Nintendo's Miitomo is whimsical and weird, but the fun seems short-lived

Andrew Hayward |
April 12, 2016

The gaming giant's first iOS offering is… a pseudo-social network?

It might just be a matter of everyone’s friend lists getting too expansive, but that’s where the clunky interface hurts the experience. Miitomo needs a more responsive and frequently updated feed to follow what your friends are saying, but right now the interface is confusing and inconsistent. Nintendo’s online networks and interactions on the console side have been frequently awkward and cumbersome for years, and it’s shining through with Miitomo as well.

What’s next?

My initial days with Miitomo were fun, but now I’m caught between conflicting emotions. On one hand, I hope Nintendo has more planned for Miitomo, because I like the idea of this cartoonish world where we ask each other silly questions and trade dumb photos.

However, I want more reasons to stick around, and a clearer interface and flow to keep me engaged. What about house customization or a community to explore? Right now, Miitomo feels like a very thin experience, and not one that’s as crucial to my day-to-day life as the social networks it piggybacks off of.

Given my ongoing time investment in Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and whichever current games I’m playing, do I really want another time and battery-killing distraction on my phone? Will Miitomo continue to offer enough to keep it on my radar in a year, let alone a couple months? We’ll find out over time, but for now the initial fun of Nintendo’s first iOS effort is wearing thin, which doesn’t bode well for ongoing usage.